IPC class HO1R 13/53 relates to base plates or housings for high electrical requirements. IPC class HO1R 13/533 relates to base plates or housings for use under extreme conditions, e.g. high temperature, radiation, vibration, corrosive environments, pressure.
Plug connectors for making electrical and/or electronic connections between different components, leads or the like are known, which consist of a plug element and a socket element. For example, there are standard sockets, into which plugs can be plugged, that are attached to ends of leads. Connection arrangements of this kind are also suitable and designed for very frequent establishing and releasing the connection.
In the case of relays, fuses or the like it is also known to mount on a device a base, into which the fuse or relay can be inserted. In this case also, replacement is supposed to be possible, albeit replacement is less common than in the case of plugging processes between socket and plug.
Even when plugging processes between circuit boards and plug elements are involved, it is common practice to arrange a base or a socket on the circuit board, or even at another location, and then to connect the socket to the circuit board using leads.
WO 2007/145764 relates to connectors for power transmission, in which the heat produced can lead to creep of a plastic housing. One connector comprises a connector housing and power contacts. An associated connector contains a connector housing and multiple power contacts, which are accessible through accessible through openings. Furthermore, the connectors can be connected to each other and mounted on circuit boards. A power contact can be employed in the connector. Further, terminals comprising fixing features of a printed circuit board are provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,848 discloses a central housing with a board mounting interface. Power and signal contacts are also provided. These can be configured as eyelet pins for a press fit connection to holes, such as, for example vias of a printed circuit board. The central housing further contains latch openings for receiving latch elements, which are equipped for snapping engagement of matching latch features of a circuit board, at which the central housing can be mounted.
EP 0,884,801, DE 100 47 457 and DE 42 26 172 each disclose connectors that are based on the establishment of press fit connections.
EP 1,069,651 A1 discloses a metal terminal which is inserted into a contact hole of an electrical circuit substrate and establishes an electrical contact at the contact hole. The terminal has a stop element, which impinges against the substrate at the rear end of the contact hole, whereby further insertion of the terminal into the contact hole is prevented. A removal prevention segment impinges against the substrate on the front side of the contact hole, in order to prevent an unwanted withdrawal of the terminal. The removal prevention segment is springly deformable, in order to allow it to be guided through the contact hole during the insertion of the terminal. Contact elements between the stop element and the removal prevention segment establish an electrical contact in the contact hole.
However, tests on a metallic connector, such as that described, have shown that the removal prevention segment, graphically adapted in the form of a ring, is easily plastically deformed during insertion through the contact hole, and is therefore often destroyed. Put another way, the guiding of this wide removal prevention segment through a narrow contact hole and the requirement to generate a sufficiently high retaining force by means of the removal prevention segment represent an insurmountable technical contradiction with the system of EP 1,069,651 A1.
Moreover, the terminal disclosed in EP 1,069,651 A1 is difficult for a user to manually operate. In particular, if multiple contacts are made at the same time, this requires the application of a very large manual force to push the removal prevention segment through the contact hole, which rapidly places excessive demands on the skills of a human user, if a sufficiently high retaining force is to be obtained in the inserted condition thereafter. Further, the mechanical strain that acts on the board according to EP 1,069,651 A1 is large. Multiple plugging according to a base-plug method is also impossible with such a system, since high retaining forces lead to plastic deformations of the removal prevention segment.